


All the Right Ingredients

by roxyryoko



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Cake, F/M, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Black Eagles Route, Pre-Timeskip | Academy Phase (Fire Emblem: Three Houses), Slow Burn, confused feelings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-06
Updated: 2020-04-06
Packaged: 2021-02-28 20:28:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23433175
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/roxyryoko/pseuds/roxyryoko
Summary: Lysithea had no time to waste.Then why was she wasting her irreplaceable time scouring over recipe books in search of a cake that would force Felix Hugo Fraldarius to revoke his proclamation that he didn’t like sweets?
Relationships: Felix Hugo Fraldarius/Lysithea von Ordelia
Comments: 8
Kudos: 25
Collections: Those Who Drabble in the Dark - Guess the Author





	All the Right Ingredients

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Chapter 1 was for the Felannie discord server's Guess the Writer game!

Lysithea had no time to waste. Time, after all, was a finite resource, and her granted allotment happened to be more limited than most. Time couldn’t be rewound or stopped, couldn’t be manipulated, but could be exploited, and Lysithea had mastered long ago how to wringe the most out of every moment of every day. All those moments had to be used wisely; she needn’t bother herself with anything that would not benefit her goals.

Then why was she wasting her irreplaceable time scouring over recipe books in search of a cake that would force Felix Hugo Fraldarius to revoke his proclamation that he didn’t like sweets?

The mere thought that anyone did not enjoy that irresistibly tantalizing, sugary-sweet cream frosted over that scrumptious, moist, spongey _magnificence_ that defined cake was utterly baffling. Not savoring every morsel of cake? _Inconceivable_. 

Thus, Lysithea felt divinely obligated to debunk the absurd notion that Felix did not delight in the consumption of even _one_ delicious treat. Not only did the conundrum spirit-away her thoughts, hindering her concentration during lectures and studious hours, but it also robbed her of sleep. Every moment wasted deliberating it over spent better uses of her time. The riddle needed to be solved with haste.

Therefore, Lysithea found herself in the monastery library, tiptoeing atop a wobbly ladder and straining to nudge free an out of reach book. She leaned further to the side, arching higher on her toes, and waved her hand out in wild abandonment. One finger nearly grazed the headcap, but instead touched air and snagged along the bottom shelf during it’s free fall.

Lysithea heaved a frustrated sigh. She was perfectly capable of acquiring the book on her own. She refused to grovel by asking someone else for assistance.

With a spirited bounce she tried again. The tip of her index finger slipped across the book’s spine at the same time as the edge of her foot slipped off the board of the step. Lysithea gasped and flailed forward. Luckily, she slammed into the shelf and managed to steady herself against a row of volumes. The two books already tucked in the crook of her arm stabbed into her side. She gritted her teeth at the sharp impact and adjusted her fingers around them. Regaining her footing, she pushed off the wall and returned to an upright position.

Off in the distance, the cathedral bell announced the late hour with a bong that pierced the quiet of the library. Lysithea jumped. As she settled, an unnerving knot twisted in her stomach. Suddenly the library’s serenity fell to an eerie silence. No longer could she hear the soft chatter of students sharing notes nor the faint snore of Linhardt curled up on his favorite chair nor the soft plodding of Tomas returning misplaced books to their respective homes. She had been so caught up in her endeavors she hadn’t noticed that both occupants and time had slipped away.

The candles in the chandelier above flickered, dancing shadows across the rows of shelves. Lysithea shivered as a disturbing thought slithered across her mind. The library at night hadn’t been the same since Claude cruelly teased her, instilling in her mind unpleasant, preposterous notions of ghosts lurking behind the shelves, ready to peak out the moment one pulled an unfortunate book from their domain.

Lysithea shook the unsettling concept. She wasn’t a child that could so easily be chilled by silly stories. An important purpose brought her to the library and she couldn’t afford for these past hours to be in vain. Finding resolve, she took a shaky breath and lunged for that stubborn book yet again.

This time her finger hooked around the top of the spine. Grinning in triumph, she wedged it from its spot. The book jumped to the edge and—

The ladder rocked beneath her feet. Teetering back and forth unsteadily with its swing, Lysithea pulled the book free. The sudden jerk only caused further unbalance. 

Lysithea closed her eyes and awaited the wood of the floor. With her hands full she had no hope of grappling for the shelf. At least solitude granted her the comfort that no one would see this childish blunder. 

“Whoopsies!” a voice sang and the ladder steadied as something brushed against Lysithea’s calf. “You almost did something I might do.” 

Claude’s warning rang in Lysithea’s ears. Undoubtedly, she upset a spectre by stealing its book. A shrill shriek rang from her lips. 

Another wail from an unknown source echoed in response.

The mimicking shout only ignited further fear in Lysithea. She screamed louder and wrenched her eyes closed. The book she just acquired fell out of her grasp. It bounced off the steps of the ladder with a flutter of pages and hit something with a muffled thud— “Ouch!” the ghost cried— before it skidded across the ground.

Wait. That “ouch” sounded familiar. 

Chest heaving, Lysithea whipped around and looked down. Her cheeks flushed in mortification rather than abject terror. Instead of a pale, translucent spirit, the very pink and solid face of Annette blinked up at her. Her blue eyes watered with tears and a pout tugged on her lips as she rubbed a sore spot on her head.

“Annette!” Lysithea scolded between pants. “For the goddess’s sake, don’t go sneaking up on people like that!”

Guilt raced across Annette’s eyes and her pout deepened. “I’m sorry!” she quavered. “I honestly didn’t mean to scare you like that! I was worried you would fall and my body just leapt into action.” Her fingers scraped against the oak of the ladder in a nervous rhythm and her gaze wandered to the floor. “Again, I’m really sorry.”

Although Lysithea would rather her book juggling and infantile scream never have been witnessed by anyone alive, she supposed there was less harm in Annette being that witness. The girl could hardly be defined as mature and her expression looked so remorseful Lysithea could only feel guilty about her reprimand.

“Well…” Lysithea began with some reservation. “What’s done is done.” She took a careful step down the ladder, extra cautious to avoid any more mishaps that could be attested to her immaturity. It didn’t protest with a shake so she proceeded to descend. “I appreciate your concern, but be more mindful next time.” Lysithea hopped off the last step. “In case you couldn’t tell, I had the situation perfectly under control.”

Merriment returned to Annette’s eyes. “Of course you did,” Annette laughed and stooped for the book sprawled out on the floor. “Why didn’t I notice that?” She picked it up, fixed its pinched pages, and closed it properly. Reading over the dusty cover, her face lit up. An overly excited smile split her face as she bubbled, “Oo-ooh, what are you planning to make?”

Lysithea readjusted the two books to lean against her chest. When content with the perfect balance, she offered her hand out to reclaim the third. Annette hesitated but returned it to her. “A cake, of course,” Lysithea answered with an eye roll. The title of the book made that obvious: _Cake and other Heavenly Delights._ Why did she bother with the question? Annette wasn’t far behind her in grades, but sometimes her common sense seemed far inferior.

“Well, yeah.” Annette tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. “But what kind of cake?”

Lysithea hated not knowing the answers to questions, but the puzzle of Felix remained to be solved. She deflected, “For now I’m simply assessing my options.”

She weaved around Annette and made her way to a long table that was already littered with a cookbook collection of substantial magnitude. Annette followed with a skip in her step. Once at her destination, Lysithea hauled her stack of books onto the table and nestled back into the cushioned chair. She reached for the top book and brought it to her lap, quickly scavenging its table of contents for an appropriate recipe.

Off to the right, Annette mused over the books, gliding dainty fingers over the spines and covers, intaking their titles. She picked one up and flipped through the pages. “If you haven’t decided maybe I can help!” A giddy sparkle beamed in her eyes. “I’m sure we can find something new and extra yummy for you to try!”

Lysithea regarded her with slight irritation for a moment. She had hoped she would leave her to research in peace, but it did seem a wiser use of time if two searched, even advantageous to gain back some otherwise lost hours. Annette was extremely studious and organized; if there was anyone she could trust with this responsibility it was her. Perhaps it could even be fun. 

“Well if you do insist on idling about, I suppose the least you can do is make yourself useful.” She fluttered to a page of an appealing recipe and read over the ingredients. So much sugar. This one wouldn’t do. Quietly, she added, “The cake isn’t for me.”

“What’s the occasion then?” the red-head inquired as she took the seat next to Lysithea and plopped the seized book down in front of her. The aura of her focus shifted and her brow drew slightly in pinpointed concentration despite the uncertainty of what she even was searching for. “Tea party with friends? A birthday?”

Lysithea scrutinized another recipe before offering a response. This one was drizzled in honey and punctuated with rich spices. It sounded delectably mouth-watering. Though she doubted Felix would approve. 

“An enlightenment. The person in question insists on not being very partial to sweets and I’m determined to prove the falsehood in hi—in the person’s claim.”

Annette raised her gaze, determination glinting in her eyes. “Oooo, a challenge! Sounds super fun!” She laughed warmly and flipped faster through the pages. “Together I’m sure we can find a whole bunch of sweets he’ll enjoy!”

Lysithea returned her smile and her friend’s spirit rekindled her own. “Undoubtedly!” she chirped back. “I refuse to believe that anyone’s sweet-tooth could be so uncultured.” 

Defiance pumping through her veins and pushing aside the sleep tugging at her eyes, Lysithea scanned through the rest of the book. Any worthwhile recipes were quickly memorized for later retrieval, but they all lacked her full approval. Once drained of any useful information, she reached for the next book and opened to the index. So many just wouldn’t do. Chocolate cinnamon cake with pumpkin frosting? No. Red velvet cake scattered with strawberries? No.

_I don't like sweets._

Stacked applesauce cake? No.

_I didn't eat it. I gave it to some kid._

Lysithea flipped a page with such vexation it nearly tore. Suddenly, she huffed, “Not only did he stick his nose up at the cake _I_ made, but he also gave it away. How obscenely ungrateful!” 

Annette’s quill stopped scribbling across a piece of parchment and she gaped up. “What a villain,” she whispered. Her brows furrowed. “Don’t worry, we’ll make sure he sees the errors of his ways.” She returned to her notes, humming a happy tune as her pen danced across the paper. 

Lysithea slumped back in her chair. She couldn’t even begin to understand her own fixation on the issue. These countless hours could be better spent sharpening her mind or sharpening her magical skills. But somehow the thought of stiff Felix biting into a forkful of cake made from a recipe she so carefully precurred and enjoying it,—maybe even smiling— made her feel warm. Lysithea flushed for reasons she couldn’t quite identify. 

“Don’t get the wrong idea,” she muttered more to herself than Annette. “I’m only doing this because his dismissiveness of cake is unforgivable. I wouldn’t waste my time otherwise.”

Annette stopped humming and looked up with a big smile. She held open a book and pointed to the top of the page. “What about this lemon and berry cake?” 

Doubtful, Lysithea leaned forward and inspected the passage. The recipe called for lemons, buttermilk, brown sugar, eggs, and strawberries. “It sounds delectable, but…it doesn’t seem to satisfy our limitations. It can’t be overly sweet.”

Annette chimed up, eager to defend her choice, “You can replace the sugar with maple syrup so it’s less sweet. And you can use albinean berries instead of strawberries so it's nice and tart.”

Lysithea mulled it over a moment and then smiled sweetly. “Excellent idea, Annette. I approve!”

Annette returned a bright grin. “See! I told you we’d find one!”

Lysithea returned to her book, invigorated. “I can’t be outdone by you. Now I’ll have to find an exceptional recipe myself.”

“In that case, I’ll find two!”

“Child’s play. I’ll find three.”

Their laughter filled the empty library, chasing away any ghosts that may be lurking. Even though Lysithea couldn’t fathom why she was so determined to spend her hours in search of a Felix-approved cake, she did know that time with a friend was always time well spent.

  
  
  



End file.
